Sweet Reality
by Cindy Ryan
Summary: Don realizes what's important. Brother oneshot


This is my first Numb3rs fic. I unfortunately missed the show when it originally aired and have fallen in love with it in reruns. :)

Title: Sweet reality  
Author: Cindy Ryan  
Category: oneshot  
Summary: Don realizes what's important

Special Agent Don Eppes dropped to his knees numb.  
His world rocked from what he was seeing before him.  
Don's younger brother Charlie's car was a burned out husk. Stark against the setting sun.  
The metal barely recognizable as a vehicle.  
The license plate on the back however had survived confirming it was Charlie's Prius.

As Don watched the firefighters finish putting out the smoldering embers his cell phone bit into his right palm. He'd been frantically dialing his brother's number since Don had received word of the car fire.  
All attempts had gone straight to voicemail.  
Don had made a brief call to his father to see if he'd heard from or seen Charlie.  
Alan hadn't seen him since the day before.  
Don had ended the call them not wanting to worry his father just yet. Not until he had confirmation that Charlie had actually been in the car when it went up

The firefighters had told him that the bomb had caused heat so intense that finding human remains would be tough.  
Cold replaced the numbness as Don struggled to process the day's events.  
Bomb.  
God, Charlie...who would want to hurt his baby brother?  
Bile rose into Don's throat and he forced it down.  
Answers...he had to find answers.

A gentle hand came down on Don's right shoulder forcing him to turn. David Sinclair's concerned face swam into view as the African-American man knelt next to him.

"Don."

Don rocked back on his heels the asphalt of the California Institute of Science's parking lot bit into his hands. He saw the sadness in  
his friend's eyes and knew what David was about to tell him.  
To tell him his worst nightmare was becoming a reality.  
That he'd failed his baby brother.

"I'm so sorry."David said quietly. "We pulled the security video feed..."

Eppes shook his head violently. "No...he's not dead."

David ducked his head and swallowed hard. "Video confirmed it. Charlie got into the car at six thirty three. There was no time for him to escape."

Don's mouth went dry as his gaze unwillingly went back to the burned car. His eyes burned from unshed tears.  
Charlie...

It seemed like hours before Don found his voice. "W-who would do this?"

"I promise you we'll find out."David vowed solemnly. "No matter what it takes."

Don woke up in a cold sweat his hands shaking. As he sat up in bed the agent rested his head on his drawn up knees. Struggling to get his breathing under control.  
Nightmare.  
Just been a nightmare.  
It'd been awhile since he'd had one that real, that vivid.

Looking up at the clock Don saw it was five in the morning.  
Too late to go back to sleep.  
Not that he wanted to at this point.  
Throwing off the covers Don got out of bed and headed for the shower.  
Might as well go for a run.

It was nearing six when Don jogged up to his father's house. He'd decided to go running in the neighborhood.  
The nightmare making Don stay close to family.  
Reaching the front door the young man let himself in.

"Good morning, Don, wasn't expecting you."Alan greeted from a chair in the living room newspaper in his lap.

"Morning, Dad."Don replied as he walked into the living room and placed a hand on his father's shoulder. "Thought I'd take a jog around the neighborhood today."

Alan studied his son. "Everything okay?"

Don sidestepped the question. "Yeah. Charlie still here?"

"Think so. His lunch bag's still in the fridge."

Don nodded and went in search of his brother. He found the mathematician on the back porch sitting in one of the chairs. Coffee mug in hand and laptop in front of him.  
The memories of the nightmare returned fast and furious.  
The burned out car.  
The grief.

Charlie glanced up from the computer a smile on his face."Morning, Don."

Don swallowed hard and returned his brother's smile as he sat down. "Morning."

Charlie took a drink of coffee before asking. "You need my help with something?"

The FBI agent smiled and shook his head. "No, you eaten yet? Thought we'd grab breakfast."

Charlie looked at Don with an arched eyebrow. "Must be something big that you need my help on if you want to go to breakfast."

Don laughed and it felt good. "Can't a guy buy his brother breakfast for no reason?"

Charlie shook his head with a smile. "I get to pick the place?"

"Deal."Don acknowledged as he stood offering Charlie a hand up.

The younger Eppes accepted the hand and stood. Then turned and gathered his computer and coffee mug.

"We should do this more often."Charlie stated as they entered the house.

"Yeah, we should."Don agreed.

end


End file.
